• Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 15, 2007
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 65 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 65
  2. Negative: 5 out of 65
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User Reviews

  1. SusanL.
    Mar 1, 2008
    9
    "I see dead people." Crime victims, that is. Nobody does smart flakiness like Jeff Goldblum. I hope they bring it back.
  2. RoryO.
    Nov 27, 2007
    9
    Original. Believable. Easy to follow. Characters keep you very interested. Unable to guess the ending. WHERE DID IT GO? Bring it back or I could end up television set.
  3. pamh.
    Aug 26, 2007
    10
    awesome show - intriguing - something unique! please please please renew it!
  4. jeans.
    Jul 16, 2007
    10
    Raines is such an interesting show. Would love it if NBC would renew this show.
  5. miriamh.
    Jul 2, 2007
    9
    Was delightful and charming, thanks to Jeff Goldblum. NBC should have stayed with it.
  6. AnneB.
    Jun 28, 2007
    10
    Please bring back Raines! Jeff Goldblum is as outstanding as usual and the story lines and acting offer an alternative to the inane reality shows. As it is, Goldblum is dealing with his own kind of reality show! Interesting writing and twists and turns.
  7. JamieL.
    May 21, 2007
    10
    This show is incredibly intelligent, not to mention well acted and scripted. I would definitely like to see NBC renew it for the Fall '07.
  8. Joyce
    May 20, 2007
    10
    It's too bad it wasn't renewed. I hope another network picks it up.
  9. JeanM.
    May 17, 2007
    9
    Well-written, well-acted shows are not all that plentiful - I sincerely hope 'Raines' returns next season, and is not elbowed aside by another awful, awful 'reality' series.
  10. KarenW
    May 15, 2007
    9
    This is an unusually well written show, and I've never liked Jeff Goldblum more than in this. The show about the little girl was especially riveting, and extremely involving for the viewer. I hope this gets renewed at some point in the future. I like the supporting cast, too, and it's great to see Madeleine Stowe again.
  11. TomP
    May 12, 2007
    10
    Great stories. Great vehicle for Goldblum! Each victim gets great character developement, a suprise since we only see them for the one episode.
  12. JulieA.
    May 12, 2007
    10
    I love the show because of the uniqueness. I find it fascinating, touching, amusing with an Einstein level of genius.
  13. VixianaW
    May 8, 2007
    10
    I don't have a TV, but every Friday night I go to a friends house to watch this show. I usually stay for L&O, but this is the one that caught me. Jeff is fabulously Jeff, the supporting players are brilliantly cast, it's slightly spooky, they wear reasonable clothes (but I do suggest a crossover with the Ghost Whisper girl and those dominatrix boots) and it's thoughtful and I don't have a TV, but every Friday night I go to a friends house to watch this show. I usually stay for L&O, but this is the one that caught me. Jeff is fabulously Jeff, the supporting players are brilliantly cast, it's slightly spooky, they wear reasonable clothes (but I do suggest a crossover with the Ghost Whisper girl and those dominatrix boots) and it's thoughtful and intelligent. I hope it returns for the fall season. Otherwise it's Fellini movies and season 3 of 24 for us. Expand
  14. ElaineR
    May 4, 2007
    10
    love it...........
  15. RobertL
    May 4, 2007
    10
    I like this show. No bad laguage and fun to watch. Hope to see a lot more of this show.
  16. BetsyZ
    May 3, 2007
    10
    Please keep this show alive. What a treat on Friday night, after the work week, to have Jeff Goldblum ... the great writing, his great acting, the great situation he is in ... to look forward to!
  17. EzekielS
    Apr 30, 2007
    9
    Jeff Goldblum plays the part perfectly and its gutsy and refreshing to see a show that does not go ultra violent like Law and Order/CSI etc. and at the same time decided to not go supernatural. Further, the show focuses on the positive, what it menas to be alive... instead of how weird can we dream up somebody being killed. Hard for me to catchit on Fridays, I hope it finds a new night Jeff Goldblum plays the part perfectly and its gutsy and refreshing to see a show that does not go ultra violent like Law and Order/CSI etc. and at the same time decided to not go supernatural. Further, the show focuses on the positive, what it menas to be alive... instead of how weird can we dream up somebody being killed. Hard for me to catchit on Fridays, I hope it finds a new night next season. Expand
  18. karyh
    Apr 29, 2007
    9
    whatever writing problems the show has are more than compensated for with Goldblum's performance. I hope we get a full season of this entertaining show.
  19. RenA
    Apr 28, 2007
    10
    Jeff Goldblum is credible and incredible. I reallly hope the show gets renewed! Any rough spots can be tweaked (remember the first season of Seinfeld?) and this one's worth staying with.
  20. BillL
    Apr 27, 2007
    10
    hats off and cudos to writers, directors and the unbelievable Jeff Goldblum, for a great, cuttine edge tv suspense drama. acting very "now" and interesting. good work.
  21. DonM
    Apr 27, 2007
    10
    Great show. Needs a little "Colombo" flavoring to include car, coat, hair, sloppiness, dog, girl friend
  22. JohnE
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    Fresh, absorbing, funny. Goldblum is brilliant.
  23. CeceliaG
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    I am so tired of CSIs and Law and Order shows. This one is different and Jeff Goldblum's acting and the supporting cast really make it interesting. I am really unhappy there are only seven episodes. This really needs to be on NBCs schedule.
  24. MNelson
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    Great show with wonderful acting and great writing.
  25. stevenc
    Apr 20, 2007
    8
    a fresh show with a fine lead in goldblum
  26. alane
    Apr 19, 2007
    9
    It's fun to watch Jeff Goldblum on the show. It's wierd, but fun to watch him every week with another "hallucination?" It'll problably get cancelled, most show I enjoy either get cncelled or stay around too long and get dumb.
  27. MehmetT
    Apr 14, 2007
    9
    I find the criticism directed towards Raines to be unfair. This show is not generic. Let me explain this a little further. Given the circumstances, the stories in the episodes are as original as possible. I mean after years of CSIs and Law and Order stuff what else is there left to portray about crimes? As such what saves the episodes from being generic is that episodes are not actually I find the criticism directed towards Raines to be unfair. This show is not generic. Let me explain this a little further. Given the circumstances, the stories in the episodes are as original as possible. I mean after years of CSIs and Law and Order stuff what else is there left to portray about crimes? As such what saves the episodes from being generic is that episodes are not actually about the crimes, but they are about the Raines character. Each episode reveals a little bit more about a deeply scarred and lonely homicide detective (who is superbly portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) who is trying to cope with his situation by resorting to hallucinations, sarcasm, and humor; and clinging on to whatever shred of optimism that Expand
  28. TeomanT
    Apr 11, 2007
    9
    In the series, the events surrounding Raines (Jeff Goldblum) have been done before by other drama/crime shows. However, this show is not about the events surrounding Raines. This is not like such show as CSI or Law and Order. This show is more like Battlestar Galactica. It is a character driven show. Instead of multiple characters (like in Battlestar Galactica) there is a single In the series, the events surrounding Raines (Jeff Goldblum) have been done before by other drama/crime shows. However, this show is not about the events surrounding Raines. This is not like such show as CSI or Law and Order. This show is more like Battlestar Galactica. It is a character driven show. Instead of multiple characters (like in Battlestar Galactica) there is a single character. With each episode we learn more about the inner workings of Raines. The show is slow at times, however, it compensates with geniuin deep analysis of Raines. It is a welcome change from most of the other shows that occupy the network airwaves. Unlike cable tv there are very few shows in the networks that are trully original. What I mean is, in most shows it doesnt really matter if you miss an episode (CSI, Law and Order etc). Raines is not a show, where you really do not know the characters even after 7 seasons and the characters have not changed at all. The acting is very good. Jeff Goldblum is superb. The actors who portray the hallucinations have also done a decent job. They change with every bit of information Raines learns.The music in the background is also good and enhances the emotions the creators try to disasminate. The camera work does not hurt the show in any way. If one had to compare it to similar shows such as Medium or Ghost Whisperer series it would some out on top. First it is not as predictable as Ghost Whisperer and is deeper then Medium. Not that Medium is bad. It is also a very good effort to broadcast an original show. Maybe the series would have had more chance of renewal if it was broadcasted in a cable network (Showtime etc). At the end, trully original shows such as Dexter,Six Feet Under, Battlestar Galactica were/are broadcasted by cable tv. Expand
  29. [Anonymous]
    Apr 9, 2007
    10
    Its really good
  30. RayG
    Apr 8, 2007
    10
    jeff goldblum is very "raymond chandleresque" in raines. the stories are good and are treated a little bit differently due to the "talk to urself" premise. i think it works and i think jeff goldblum is better in this than he was in jurasic park
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 26
  2. Negative: 4 out of 26
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Alynda Wheat
    42
    [It] makes Los Angeles look as dreary and sluggish as Goldblum's performance. [16 Mar 2007, p.65]
  2. 50
    An average, unoriginal series.
  3. As close-ended procedurals go, "Raines" certainly offers an intriguing hook, but I'm not sure it's one with much staying power.